Seventeen Portuguese thus
employed were one day attacked by four hundred of the enemy.
employed were one day attacked by four hundred of the enemy.
Camoes - Lusiades
_--While the
kingdom of Portugal was divided, some holding with John the newly
elected king, and others with the King of Castile, Roderic Marin,
governor of Campo-Major, declared for the latter. Fernando d'Elvas
endeavoured to gain him to the interest of his native prince, and a
conference, with the usual assurances of safety, was agreed to. Marin,
at this meeting, seized upon Elvas, and sent him prisoner to his castle.
Elvas having recovered his liberty, a few days after met his enemy in
the field, whom, in his turn, he made captive; and the traitorous Marin,
notwithstanding the endeavours of their captain to save his life, met
the reward of his treason from the soldiers of Elvas. --_Partly from_
Castera.
[527] _And safe the Lusian galleys speed away. _--A numerous fleet of the
Castilians being on their way to lay siege to Lisbon. Ruy Pereyra, the
Portuguese commander, seeing no possibility of victory, boldly attacked
the Spanish admiral. The fury of his onset put the Castilians in
disorder, and allowed the Portuguese galleys a safe escape. In this
brave piece of service the gallant Pereyra lost his life. --CASTERA.
[528] _The shepherd. _--Viriatus.
[529] _Equal flame inspir'd these few. _--The Castilians having laid
siege to Almada, a fortress on a mountain near Lisbon, the garrison, in
the utmost distress for water, were obliged at times to make sallies to
the bottom of the hill in quest of it.
Seventeen Portuguese thus
employed were one day attacked by four hundred of the enemy. They made a
brave defence, and effected a happy retreat into their
fortress. --CASTERA.
[530] _Far from the succour of the Lusian host. _--When Alonzo V. took
Ceuta, Don Pedro de Menezes was the only officer in the army who was
willing to become governor of that fortress; which, on account of the
uncertainty of succour from Portugal, and the earnest desire of the
Moors to regain it, was deemed untenable. He gallantly defended his post
in two severe sieges.
[531] _That other earl. _--He was the natural son of Don Pedro de
Menezes. Alonzo V. one day, having ridden out from Ceuta with a few
attendants, was attacked by a numerous party of the Moors, when De Vian,
and some others under him, at the expense of their own lives, purchased
the safe retreat of their sovereign.
[532] _Two brother-heroes shine. _--The sons of John I. Don Pedro was
called the Ulysses of his age, on account both of his eloquence and his
voyages. He visited almost every court of Europe, but he principally
distinguished himself in Germany, where, under the standards of the
Emperor Sigismond, he signalized his valour in the war against the
Turks. --CASTERA.
kingdom of Portugal was divided, some holding with John the newly
elected king, and others with the King of Castile, Roderic Marin,
governor of Campo-Major, declared for the latter. Fernando d'Elvas
endeavoured to gain him to the interest of his native prince, and a
conference, with the usual assurances of safety, was agreed to. Marin,
at this meeting, seized upon Elvas, and sent him prisoner to his castle.
Elvas having recovered his liberty, a few days after met his enemy in
the field, whom, in his turn, he made captive; and the traitorous Marin,
notwithstanding the endeavours of their captain to save his life, met
the reward of his treason from the soldiers of Elvas. --_Partly from_
Castera.
[527] _And safe the Lusian galleys speed away. _--A numerous fleet of the
Castilians being on their way to lay siege to Lisbon. Ruy Pereyra, the
Portuguese commander, seeing no possibility of victory, boldly attacked
the Spanish admiral. The fury of his onset put the Castilians in
disorder, and allowed the Portuguese galleys a safe escape. In this
brave piece of service the gallant Pereyra lost his life. --CASTERA.
[528] _The shepherd. _--Viriatus.
[529] _Equal flame inspir'd these few. _--The Castilians having laid
siege to Almada, a fortress on a mountain near Lisbon, the garrison, in
the utmost distress for water, were obliged at times to make sallies to
the bottom of the hill in quest of it.
Seventeen Portuguese thus
employed were one day attacked by four hundred of the enemy. They made a
brave defence, and effected a happy retreat into their
fortress. --CASTERA.
[530] _Far from the succour of the Lusian host. _--When Alonzo V. took
Ceuta, Don Pedro de Menezes was the only officer in the army who was
willing to become governor of that fortress; which, on account of the
uncertainty of succour from Portugal, and the earnest desire of the
Moors to regain it, was deemed untenable. He gallantly defended his post
in two severe sieges.
[531] _That other earl. _--He was the natural son of Don Pedro de
Menezes. Alonzo V. one day, having ridden out from Ceuta with a few
attendants, was attacked by a numerous party of the Moors, when De Vian,
and some others under him, at the expense of their own lives, purchased
the safe retreat of their sovereign.
[532] _Two brother-heroes shine. _--The sons of John I. Don Pedro was
called the Ulysses of his age, on account both of his eloquence and his
voyages. He visited almost every court of Europe, but he principally
distinguished himself in Germany, where, under the standards of the
Emperor Sigismond, he signalized his valour in the war against the
Turks. --CASTERA.
